


cartoon dinosaurs, a child's favorite

by ilikeinfomercials



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, bloody nose, does Hotch see Spence as somewhat of a son figure? lmao who knows, does Spence see Hotch as somewhat of a father figure? oh definitely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:48:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24385321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilikeinfomercials/pseuds/ilikeinfomercials
Summary: Spencer gets a bloody nose; Hotch is prepared.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner & Spencer Reid
Comments: 3
Kudos: 123





	cartoon dinosaurs, a child's favorite

When Spencer Reid woke up from his rather pleasant nap on the jet ride back to Quantico to the foreign taste of a coppery liquid pooling on his tongue, he wasn't particularly thrilled. After uncurling himself from the position he’d been sleeping in, he took it upon himself to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, causing scarlet-tinged saliva to smear on his skin. That, coupled with the steady stream of blood dripping onto his shirt, was a pretty clear indicator of the bloody nose he must’ve gotten while dozing off.

“Crap,” he muttered beneath his breath. He quickly sat up and tilted his head forward in an attempt to prevent any more blood from leaking back into his throat and on his tongue. Pinching the edges of his nostrils together, he called out to Hotch, who was sitting in the seat across from Spencer, attention taken up by whatever he was typing out on his phone. “Hey, Hotch, are there tissues on the jet by any chance?” His voice had come out as nasally and high-pitched, which made him feel a twinge of embarassment.

Hotch lifted his gaze from his screen to Spencer, eyebrows furrowing at the younger male’s bloody predicament. “There aren’t any on the jet itself,” said the man, pausing to procure something from his back pocket, “But take these.” He handed Spencer a small, travel-sized pack of tissues with colorful cartoon dinosaurs decorating the packaging. 

Upon grabbing the tissue pack from Hotch, Spencer shot an appreciative look at his supervisor before practically sprinting from his seat to the jet’s bathroom, where he could deal with his bloody nose without making that much of a mess. After a couple minutes and the entirety of the tissue pack’s contents later, he exited the bathroom all freshened up — or, as much as he could be, considering the assorted splatters of blood flecking his white button-up.

Sliding back into his seat, he eyed Hotch curiously. “You know, I never really pegged you as the type of guy to take an interest in cartoon dinosaurs, Hotch,” he commented, a playful edge to his voice. 

The man in question stared back at spencer, eyes flashing with an emotion the other couldn’t quite identify. He remained silent for a moment, as if lost in thought. “They’re not for me, Reid. Jack gets bloody noses often, and… I suppose carrying those tissues around became a bit of a habit.” Spencer swore he could hear the slightest trace of warmth in Hotch’s voice. “I’m glad they were put to good use.”

The corners of Spencer’s lips quirked upward. “You’re a good dad.”


End file.
